This revision of the recently issued extender version 1.03 is a result of user requests for two additional features. These are the ability to select a device within a macro sequence without activating any macro that may be on the device key concerned, and the ability to make a Special Function apply to all devices, i.e. to be global. It is, like v1.03, available both for the European URC-6440 and the US equivalent remote, the OARUSB04G. There are separate zip packages for the two remotes: URC-6440 Extender v1.04 and OARUSB04G Extender v1.04.

For use with RMIR, these extenders require RMIR v2.03 Build 8 or later. Build 6, which was required for v1.03, is not sufficient for v1.04.

Due to the unique nature of Simpleset remotes, these extenders can be installed and set up without the use of any of the JP1 tools. They are supplied as a settings.bin file to be copied to the external drive that the remote presents when connected to a PC or Mac. All features and setup procedures of the unextended remote are retained, including the learning capability, either unchanged or in an improved form. In addition, all the new features provided by the extender can also be set up through the remote itself, other than five Special Functions (Long Key Press etc., see below). It is not so much an extender as a software upgrade that turns the remote into a new one with far greater capabilities than the original. The package includes a 26-page manual in PDF form that gives details of all the setup procedures, many of which work also on the unextended remote despite not being mentioned in the original documentation.

The extender increases the number of supported devices from four to twelve and the number of activities (Combo modes) from two to six. All devices and activities, including the new ones, can be set up without RMIR. In the unextended remote, activities without RMIR are limited to a choice of four pre-defined setups, but the extender gives much greater flexibility in how they are set up. It allows macros to be nested, and both traditional and device-specific (DSM) macros can be created without RMIR. There is a facility to control the duration for which the signals within a macro sequence are sent. The unextended remote supports DSMs but they can be set up only with RMIR. Traditional macros can be set up without it, though the procedure for doing so is not in the original documentation. The extender provides a Shift key, by giving a dual use to the List button, that is used to access the additional devices and activities and which also enables shifted and XShifted functions to be added to any button by means of a key move. Again this can be done without RMIR.

In contrast to the unextended remote, macros operate in Combo modes. They can also be placed on the Device and Combo buttons (for all 12 devices and 6 Combo modes), where the are performed after the device or combo mode has been selected.

The extender includes the Special Functions that are common to most extenders, namely Long and Double Keypress (LKP, DKP), ToadTog, Device Multiplexer and Pause, in addition to DSMs mentioned above. In this version they are available in both device-specific and non-specific forms. The Special Functions are the only features of the extender that require RMIR for their setup. Full details about them and their setup are given in the manual. Note that installation and setup of the remote with RMIR requires RMIR v2.03 Build 8 or later.

The announcement thread for version 1.03 of the extender, which includes the discussions that have led to the issue of version 1.04, is available here_________________Graham

It seems from your link to your other post that you have resolved your problem. 3FG has posted an RDF for you if you want to use your remote with its original settings.bin file, and you have discovered that my extender works in your remote.

I expect the extender to work in all versions of the URC-6440 as it provides a complete replacement settings.bin file. This includes a change of signature, so with the extender it will pick up the extender RDF and ignore anything related to the original signature of the remote. So it is not necessary to have a new extender version just because you have a new version of the original settings.bin file.

If you have any problems with the extender in your remote, please post again._________________Graham

As tranx says, once extended, there is no difference between the two remotes other than the button labels. Note, however, that this does not mean the two extenders themselves are interchangeable. You must use the extender version for the remote concerned. If you use the wrong one, it won't cause any damage but it won't work, as the copying of the settings.bin file will simply fail, leaving the remote unchanged._________________Graham

Trying to load the extender into the remote and it seems that I brick it. When I restore the previous restored rmir file it then I get it to work again. I bought two OARUSB04G remotes and both experienced the failure with the extender. Not sure if I need the extender, trying to do a macro with the blue button and would need a pause, and would also like channel lock which from reading looks like it is a feature of extender.

Maybe the installation did not go correctly at first. From the OARUSB04G Extender Manual, and using rmir v2.03 v8 this is how I understand things:-

Step 1." If you have not already done so, download your remote to RMIR and save its present setup "as a .rmir file" (NOT as a .bin file)."

Step 2." Rename the file “Settings_reset_OARUSB04G_extender104(2576A1).bin” in the extender package as simply “settings.bin”."

(Step 3. - to apply an 'empty' Extender to the unextended remote)
# "Connect your remote to your PC and use standard file copying to copy the "settings.bin" file of step 2. to the remote. (Do NOT do this by loading settings.bin into RMIR and uploading it — this will NOT work, you MUST use standard file copying to the external drive created when you connect your remote.) Your remote is now in the factory reset state for Extender v1.04."

(Step 4. - to reload your original setup and upgrade it with the extender)
# "Open RMIR and load the "saved .rmir file" of step 1. From the File menu, select “Install Extender... ”, which opens a dialog for you to choose a file with a .hex extension.
Navigate to where you have stored the unzipped extender package and select the file "OARUSB04G_extender104.hex”. Click the Open button. Your setup will be upgraded to one with the same settings but for the extended remote.
Save this as a .rmir file with a new filename." (e.g. "Extended nnn...")

(Step 5. - To get your extended setup into the empty but extended remote)
# "Use RMIR to upload this converted file to your extended remote. The installation is now complete."

Last edited by tranx on Mon Nov 02, 2015 6:01 am; edited 2 times in total

Trying to load the extender into the remote and it seems that I brick it.

As tranx says, make sure you are copying the extender settings.bin file to the remote with the standard Windows file copy, not with RMIR.

If you are doing this and it still fails, two further possibilities occur to me. (1) This would happen if you are trying to install the extender for the URC-6440 rather than the OARUSB04G. (2) The remote is not seen as a OARUSB04G by the copying process as it is a new version of the remote with a different identifier (a text string that is checked by the copying process to ensure it is copying to a compatible remote).

In both cases the copying process itself would fail with a rather cryptic error message that I cannot quite remember. If the copying completes normally and it is only when you try the remote that you find it doesn't work, then these are not the cause. But if the copying does fail, and you are sure you are using the extender for the OARUSB04G, then please copy the settings.bin file from your remote to your PC and then post it for me to look at. I can then check the identifier to see if the cause is my suggestion (2) above. If it is, I will create a new version of the extender for that remote._________________Graham

Just got my new OARUSB04G today from Amazon. It seems like it would be a great remote if I could get the extender working properly.

I tried to copy over the extender settings.bin to my remote, but I got an error saying "The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in Settings.bin can't be read or written (Error code -36)". I get this error every time I try to write any Settings.bin file to the remote. I tried deleting the Settings.bin file from my remote and copying the original file from simpleset.com, but I still get the same error message.

Now, the remote no longer lights up or responds to any inputs as far as I can tell. It does still show up as an external drive when connected to my computer. I tried pulling the batteries out for a while and spamming the buttons hoping the remote would reset itself, but it's still bricked and won't write the Settings.bin successfully. It was working fine before attempting to extend it. Any idea what I may have done wrong or how I might be able to fix it?

I'm trying to mod the remote via a 2009 Macbook Pro running OSX 10.6.8 if that makes any difference.